Bay Blue, Cow's Milk Blue, Pt. Reyes Farmstead, Pt. Reyes, CA (5 oz)

Pt. Reyes Farmstead Cheese Co. 'Bay Blue' (Point Reyes, CA)

The Giacomini family traces its roots to the mountainous terrain of northern Italy. In the early 20th century, Tobias Giacomini left Europe to settle in Northern California. A half-century later, his grandson, Bob, and Bob’s new wife, Dean, bought a farm near Tomales Bay and began raising Holstein cows and selling milk to a local creamery. Their herd grew from 150 to 500 by the mid-1990s, and the farm’s lush pastures are now certified organic. Bob and Dean had four daughters and, in 2000, the family launched the Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Company, using its own milk to make its first cheese, Point Reyes Original Blue.

Bay Blue is a rustic, mellow blue cheese modeled after the English classic, Stilton. While Bay Blue is made from milk from the same herd as Point Reyes Farmstead’s Original Blue, the two cheeses could not be more different. Bay Blue is made with pasteurized milk from Holstein cows, pierced with Penicillium roqueforti inoculated needles on day 3 of production, and then aged in a cave with significant airflow, giving the cheese a very thin rind and a crumbly texture. During aging, the wheels get a daily quarter-turn, to ensure even distribution of butterfat throughout. The resulting flavor is earthy and mushroomy with a sweet, salted caramel finish. Ideal for nibbling on while you sip a bold ruby or tawny Port.

• Farm / Company: Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Company
• Cheesemaker: Kuba Hemmerling
• Proprietor: The Giacomini Family
• Affineur (Cheese Ager): Kuba Hemmerling
• City, State: Pt. Reyes, CA
• Milk Type: Cow
• Milk Treatment: Pasteurized
• Rennet: Vegetarian
• Rind: None
• Texture: Firm
• Aging: 3 months
• Size(s): 5-ounce wedges

All food items for curbside pickup or SF Local delivery only.